What follows in this article is a review of the Shure SM58 Dynamic Handheld Microphone.

It is a vocal microphone which, I am sure you have seen it in use at more or less every gig you have been to or live performance on television. Everybody that is into recording music or live performance probably owns this microphone. If you don't have one, you probably know someone who has one.

The Shure SM58 is a classic microphone, industry standard, and it has been around forever. It has been used by so many and has been around for so long as it is one of the most flexible microphones around. The SM58 is used mainly for vocals but I have used it on harmonicas, with a bit of EQ, when I have ran out of SM57's. It peaks at around 3 - 6 kHz, then dips between 7 and 8 kHz then rises again so it is tailoured for vocals with a bright mid range and a bass roll off.

The SM58 is a cardioid microphone so you sing directly into it as, if you sing off axis, you will not get the desired sound because the microphones pick up patter attenuates sound from its sides and at the back. This helps combat feedback from monitors whilst on stage. You can sing into the side if you know what you are doing and want to get an effect.

The microphone is very robust and can take a beating so even the most energetic of frontmen will not worry it too much. I have seen these microphones with damaged grilles still produce an excellent sound so they are of the highest quality.

When you sing into them close up, you get more bass. By taking advantage of the proximity effect, singers with good microphone technique can control this. Closer - more bass, further away - thins out. Just think Frank Sinatra and how he used to hold his mic - sometimes a foot away and sometimes close up.

The microphone itself is very inexpensive, and, if your just getting started, and you need a good goto mic, and you don't want to spend a lot of money, you can find these microphones very cheaply - especially online.

The Shure SM58 Dynamic Handheld Microphone speaks for itself and there is not much more to say about it. Ask anybody and get yourself one if you do not already own one because it is a mic that you need in your arsenal because, as industry standard, it is a must have.